Flooring



Emma Aug. 28, 192a.

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a This invention relates to floors and has laid by mixing a solution of bituminous nia-' terial in an organic solvent such as naphtha with a suitable filler such as asbestos or fine 1 divided silica. The-resulting paste is t en troweled over a wood, concrete, 'or steel floor or floor foundation and the solventallowed to evaporate. Alternative] the bituminous material'may be melted y ap lication of heat and the filler mixed in. he

mixture is then applied ,hot and rolled outbefore it has ha time to set by cooling. Heretofore it has been impossible to la; a

rubber floor byeither of these methods. 7 To obtain a workable mix by the solvent method re uires such large quantities of solvent as to whollyj impract1c'al,-and the rubber cannot be rendered sufliciently plastic by application of heat to be'worked and spread,

with any tools available to the ordinary contractor. As a result, an all rubber floor has been manufactured in central factories by milling a crude rubber and a suitable filler and pressin the product into tiles, blocks, etc. in a hy raulic press and vulcanizing.

I have discovered that a rubber floor can be laid directly with a paste made by mixing a water emulsion of rubber and a suitable filler. Natural rubber 1 ,latex can be used or an artificial rubber emulsion such as can be obtained by crude rubber in suitable mill such for example as the known to the rubber trade as the Preold bituminous or mastic that a true rubber floor is obtained and furthermore the very objectionable and rather expensive organic solvents are eliminated.

It has the advantage over the old type of rubber flooring that it can be laid as a 0011-; tinuous sheet over a flooring 'ofany'size or' Furthermore, owing to the e xtreme m J v dplicity it; be both manufactured: and more cheaply than a rubber'tilefloor.

evaporation of the water till ready or use.

d V il product Ofmy nventio coagulating'efieq: uponelatex; Also'pl me'nts..or water soluble .dyest'ufis- Application me! name, a. Serial 1m It is then spread onto the floor by means of 3;; trowel or other suitable tool in a smooth continuous sheet, and allowed to-dry. After 1 dryin by rofiing. V

II. 150 parts of acid-washed asbestos are spread over the floor; either byraking out dry asbestos and then rolling it, or byspreadin out-amixtureof water. and asbestos anda lowing it to dry.

In either case the result' layer or sheet of asbestos is sprinkled? umformly with 100- parts of latex (containing 40% of rubber) rt 'sedb ro' IH. 150 y I same as above and 'is then 5pm 150 parts of an artificialemu led with anilinefinely' dispersed in the emulsion 5It' is then allowed to dry, and, inthepresejice of the colloidal sulphur and catalyst, a elow cold cure takes place.

IV. A mixture of asbestos and latex such as-specified in Example 1 j is s read out it canbe further finished, if desired, I

This done ry. If desired,- .it"can be parts of asbestosi isigpread the- 'on of crude" rubber in water, (containing 30% of rub--7= upon a sheet of burlapeorothen abric. and

allowed .to dry. The resultin sheet can -then be wrapped into rolls and andled and kid like linoleum, butthe rubber sheet thus obtained is far more pliable and moredurable than'linoleum. In any of the examples given above other fillers can be substituted for the w- For example, finely divided. silica, china res 'of various-fillersto 've'special properties. I refer a neutral' such as amphibole 0 v: "or acid-wash asbestos for the "cred that clay, talc, ground wood, ground cork,'etc. or

d g-l'believe, a

n thatsI havegdiseov- 7 filler which is too basicflht g, bestos containing uncom:inedi-ma%es1a or Y a which'can be y le'ac edont)" produces undesirable eflects 1n the are included, which, like soluble alfiminum iron, barium calcium pounds, and the like, exercise an objectionable coagulating effect upon the rubber emulsion.

Owing to the hard tough character of the urimilled rubber obtained by .direct evaporation of latex, vulcanization of this is not always necessary. If desirable, however, colloidal sulphur and a finely dispersed stron or so-called super catalyst can be addct and a slow cold care will be obtained after the mass has been dried. Or, alternatively, the latex can be vulcanized without breaking the emulsion by known means and the'vulcanized latex used directly.

Artificial emulsions of rubber or of reclaimed rubber can be used in place of the latex or mixtures with it can be made. Wa-- ter soluble fillers such as glue, or emulsions of water insoluble materials such as oils, resins, etc. can be added to modify the properties of the rubber, if desired.

In the manufacture of the rubber linoleum, the mix can be either spread upon fabric or the fabric can be omitted if the mix is spread upon a very smooth surface. from which it can be peeled after drying.

Flooring compositions obtained in this way with as low as rubber on a dry basis are, I have discovered, quite tough and satisfactory. However, from -25% of rubber is preferable. If a very rubbery floor is desired and cost is not of great importance as high as 40-50% 'of rubber can be added.

If a very thick floor is desired several layers can be put down on top of each other by any ofthe methods described above. For most purposes, however, a thickness of from to ,1 inches is sufficient and this can be readily obtained with one application.

In certain instances when the floor is' put down in layers in the manner described in the preceding paragraph, I prefer to incorporate a larger proportion of rubber (preferably more than about 15%) in the top 1a er or layers than in the remaining layers, w 'ch latter may, in some cases, with advantage be put down without any rubber whatever either with or without the aid of a sutitable binder such as bituminous material, e

I have discovered that my improved flooring as prepared by any of the above described methods is' particularly well suited for laying in the form of colored patterns. To accomplish this desirable result I first mix the desired colored pigment or pigments with the prepared paste and fill or lay this into the frames having any desired configuration placed upon the floor in separate frames depending upon the particular design to be employed. These frames are preferably made with thin partitions or containing walls. The space between the frames on the floor may be filled in either with colored or uncolored paste. After 'the floor has been completely laid in this manner with the plastic paste colored as desired, the frames are then removed and the plastic or semi-plastic flooring subjected to a rolling or pressing operation whereby the crevices left by the removal of the frames are filled in and the separate patterns caused to amalgamate or flow int each other. Or the crevices may be filled in with other flooring material.

I have also found that my improved flooring is capable of being laid in variegated or mottled or marbled colors. This is accomplished by incorporating the desired colored pigment or pigments in the paste and then incompletely mixing these colors through the paste as with a stirring rod whereby irregular or mottled or marbled effects may be obtained.

I have found also that the improved flooring compositions described in the above examples and their modifications may be laid over the older flooring compositions containing bituminous material previously 'referred to. For example, a thin layer of the older mastic flooring may first be put down which will dry or harden rapidly and the mixture or paste of rubber latex or rubber emulsion and asbestos isithen spread over this. A single layer or a plurality of layers containing different proprtions of rubber may be put down over the bituminous mastic layer if desired. Or the various layers of bituminous material and latex paste may be laid upon each other in any desired order. I have found that these various layers amalgamate or adhere eifectively to each other and produce a good flooring.

I claim:

1. An improved flooring comprising dried non-vulcanized rubber latex and a filler and havinga substantially large proportion of its rubber content in and adjacent to one surface thereof.

2. An improved flooring comprising a plurality of layers having different proportions of dried non-vulcanized rubber latex in the several layers.

3. An improved flooring comprising superimposed layers of bitumen-containing material and non-vulcanized dried rubber latex.

4. A rubberized flooring which comprises dried non-vulcanized rubber latex and a pig- III III

ment distributed in patterned configuration 7. As a new article of manufacture a conv sheet. of rubberized 9. As a new article of manufacture a eonl0 prisingbetween about15and 50% by weight tinuous sheet of rubberized material eomof dried non-vulcanized rubber latex an a prising between about 15 and 50% by wei ht' filler. e Y of dried non-vulcanized rubber latex an a 8. Asa new article of manufacture aconfiller, and characterized by its strength and tinnous sheet of rubberized material comhigh degree of resistance to wear. 15

i asbestos.

prising between about 15 and 50% by weight In testimony whereof I'eflix my signature. of dried non-vulcanized rubber latex and a V CHAUNCEY C. LOOMIS. 

